Managing in Complex Environment

This presentation discusses the main diversity issues at Aetna, a leading diversified health benefit company in the United States. It explores gender issues, generation gaps, ethnic and cultural differences, conflicts, and communication issues. Solutions and recommendations are provided to overcome these challenges and enhance diversity within the workplace.

MANAGING IN COMPLEX
ENVIRONMENT

Table of Contents
■ Introduction
■ Main Diversity Issues at Aetna
■ Solutions and Recommendations to Diversity issues
■ Conclusion

INTRODUCTION
■ Aetna is one of the leading diversified health benefit company
incorporating in United States. The company serves around 37.2 million
people in America. There are around 35000 employees out which 31 per
cent of employees comes from different background, colour and religion.
■ In this presentation, the issues will be discovered and recommendations
will be provided in order to overcome them.

Diversity
Diversity in past was an employee relation issue which revolves largely around
race and gender. In present scenario, diversity at workplace became important and
essential part of the organisation. Aetna is one of the leading and largest health care
organisation incorporating in United States of America and its health care network
consists of 4919 hospitals, 84300 healthcare professionals and more than 490000
primary care doctors and specialists.

Main Diversity Issues
At Aetna, more than 35000 employees are currently employed out of which
approximately 11000 employees are of different backgrounds, culture and colour. Out
of total workforce 26600 are female employees from which 64 per cent holds
management and supervisory positions. In order to enhance the effectiveness within
the work culture, management of Aetna formulated precise strategies and utilise
appropriate framework so that diversity within workplace can be boost up.

Gender Issue
■ Gender issue were observed within the
healthcare were female employees were
not treated appropriately. Many female
employees complains about the unfair
treatment of senior employees and
managers within the Aetna healthcare

Cont.
This is considered to be severe issue as it can tarnished the reputation and goodwill
of the organisation. Gender inequality are common but serious offence in the
organisation as they have to follow the Equality and Civil Rights Act where it is the
responsibility and duty of top management to monitor the unfair and prejudiced
behaviour and take actions so that workplace effectiveness and culture can be
enhanced effectively and efficiently. As majority of workforce at Aetna composed
of female employees, management must consider the gender inequality issues and
makes necessary policies and changes so that these issues can be obliterated.

Generation Gaps
■ In large organisation like Aetna,
employees of different age employed
in the organisation which inevitably
creates generation gaps in the
organisation. Disagreement between
senior and juniors, superiors and
subordinates are common in Aetna.

Cont.…
It was observed that discrepancies occurred due to dominance behaviour of
superiors on subordinates. Diversified people are more likely to be the target of
superiors and managers in the organisation. It reduces the motivation of juniors
which affect on the corporate culture of the organisation. Generation gap can be
observed in any large organisation where large number of employees are
employed. Bridging the gap between multiple generations of workers can
sometimes become an issue for employers attempting to establish teamwork.

Ethnic And Cultural Differences
■ Ethical and cultural differences can be occurred in large scale corporations
where different types of employees working together to share benefits. Aetna,
employees coming from different background and culture such as African-
American, Asians and Hispanic works together for accomplishing the
common goals and objectives of the organisation. Management observes that
ethical and cultural differences has been occurring in the organisation which
affects the corporate culture of the company.

Cont.
■ In the survey conducted within the organisation it was asked to employees
whether Aetna enables people from diverse backgrounds to contribute to their
fullest or not. The responses were beyond expectations as majority of
employees disagreed with the statement. Ethical and cultural differences
affects the overall performance of diversified employees within the
organisation. Employees remained dissatisfied and demotivated which reduces
their determination to carry out specific task.

Conflict
■ Conflicts in the workplace can be due to prejudice, racism, discrepancies,
discrimination and lack of respect. If not distinguished, such animosity in the
workplace can turn explosive or even violent. There were times that due to
discrepancies employees at Aetna found in conflicts with each other.
■ Conflicts at workplace are not considered reduces the motivation and loyalty of
employees and their quality of doing work ultimately reduces. With large
number of workforce in the organisation, the management Aetna have observed
frequent conflicts between diversified and local employees in the organisation.

Communication issues

Cont.
■ Communication issues are mainstream in large organisation. If there are
loopholes in the organisational structure and flow of communication, then
there are high probability of miscommunication within the organisation.
■ These are most common issues which are the lead cause of other issues like
conflicts and disputes. In diversified organisation like Aetna, these issues
frequently affect the peace and harmony of the company. It becomes difficult
for the management to enhance the communication flow as large number of
employees created large number of groups within the organisation.

Solutions to challenges and recommendations
To enhance the diversity within the workplace, it is essential and important for
the management of Aetna to formulate mitigation strategies and plans which can
help them in obliterating the identified challenges. In order to enhance the
effectiveness within the Aetna healthcare centre it is essential for the
management and employees to work abreast. In this context, the
recommendations and solution to eliminate the diversity issues are as follows:

Providing education to employees about how
stereotypes work
■ When employee recognise the work of stereotypes, they tend to scrutinise
their own decision making carefully and that tends to break the tendency
to use stereotypes. Gender bias is most common issue any small, medium
and large organisation can face. It can tarnished the overall reputation of
the organisation and can affects the productivity and profitability of the
company.

Cont.
As Aetna is large healthcare insurance company which provides coverage to
large number of people thus, it is essential for them to focus on eliminating
gender inequality within the corporation. From the case it was identified that
maximum number of employees in Aetna were employees female. Thus, it is
essential for the management to focus on the needs and expectations of female
employees and also put close monitoring and supervision so that their motivation
and morale can be enhanced effectively and efficiently

Focusing on similarities rather than difference
In order to obliterate generational gap issues at Aetna, management needs to
concentrate on the similarities of thoughts rather than differences. New
people have skills and old have experience. Management needs to combine
both elements in order to raise the effectiveness in the quality of work. In
order to sustain in the competitive environment, it is essential that all the
employees within the organisation works in team.

Cont.
Senior must respect the thoughts of juniors and juniors must obey the
seniors. By working collaboratively and collectively, management at Aetna
could be able to achieve its diversity goals and objectives. Juniors must ask
questions rather than making statements. They mustn't involves in the
argument with the seniors as it can be harmful for their career

Promoting appreciation of cultural
differences
In order to obliterate these issues, management needs to conduct activities and
programmes where diversified employees got an opportunity to represent
themselves as well as their culture so that their motivation can be enhanced
effectively and efficiently. This will not only promote socialisation but it will also
provide each person the opportunity to learn about and appreciate one another's
culture. Management at Aetna can also invite their employees where they can write
feature article in newsletter or internal communication about a particular culture.

Negotiation
The best way to reduce and eliminate conflicts within workplace is negotiation.
Negotiation is the process of achieving agreement through discussion. Conflicts can
degrades the overall reputation of the organisation and in order to sustain in the
competitive environment it is essential for the management to focus on developing
the brand image and reputation. To do so they have to eliminate the frequent
conflicts and disputes that occurred within an organisation. Negotiation is considered
to be the best way to eliminate the disputes and conflicts within the organisation.

Improving flow of communication
Communication discrepancies can affect the organisational productivity and
performance of employees. Miscommunication can leads to conflicts and dispute.
The management of Aetna must develop precise communication plan and restricts
unhealthy communication at workplace which could ignite conflicts within the
workplace. Communication plan must include the flow of communication, who is
responsible for communication, etc. In this manner, the management would be able
to enhance diversity within the workplace.

CONCLUSION
From the presentation, it can be understood that diversity within workplace is
very important and essential which helps in enhancing the performance and
quality of work within the organisation. The presentation discussed about the
diversity issues occurred in Aetna Healthcare. Issues such as communication,
ethical differences, gender issues etc. were discovered. The solutions has been
provided and recommendation has been given to the management which could
helps in enhancing the diversity within the workplace.

References
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Cont.
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Thank You